Musical instrument.



PATENTED MAY 14, 1907. C. F. DOUGHTON.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIGATIO FILED MAY 1B, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. DOUGIITON, OF LEBANON, OREGON.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 853,536. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented IVI-ay 14, 1907.

Application tiled May 18,1906. Serial No. 317,494.

To @ZZ 11177/0771/ it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OHAnLEs F. Dorien- 'rON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Lebanon, in the county of Linn and State ofOregon, have invented an Improvement in Musical Instruments, oi whichthe Vfollowing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specii'ication, like letters on the drawings representinghkeparts.' Q

This invention relates to a stringed musical instrument, and especiallyto an instrument of the Zither class. In many stringed instruments ofthis class there are two series of strings, one series extending the'full length of the instrument and constituting the strings on which themelody is played, and the other series being arranged in groups for thepurpose ot playing the chords. In an ordinary instrument of this classthe groups Vfor playing the chords are arranged side by side, and thenumber of chord-groups which can be used is limited by the width of theinstrument. In most instruments five or six chordgroups are all that canbe used, and as a result the number of dilierent keys in which tunes maybe played is limited.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel construction b y meansof' which the number of chord-groups may be materially increased withoutincreasing the size of the instrument. In tact by means of my inventionit is possible to place two chord-groups in the same space that isusually occupied by one chord-group. In order to accomplish this objectI arrange the strings for playing the chords or accompaniment in series,an the strings of each series are divided into two groups, the stringsof one group being tuned to play one chord and the strings of anothergroup being tuned to play another chord.

The group ot strings ot any series which comprise one chord are at oneend supported in a di'l'l'erent plane from the other strings of thisseries, and on the other hand the strings composing the other group ofthe series is at the other end oi' the strings supported in adil'lferent plane from the remaining strings. The result is that at oneend of' the strings oi a series the strings of one group are in playingposition. and at the other end the strings of the other group are inplaying position, so that one chord can be sounded by picking thestrings which are in playing position. at one end, and another chord maybe sounded by picking the strings which are in playing position at theother end. Preferably each series of strings will be divided into groupsin such a way that one or more of the strings of the series will be inboth groups.

My invention is of special advantage where it is desired to makeprovision for sounding both the major and the minor chords, Vfor with myinvention it is possible to arrange any set of strings so that both amajor chord and a minor chord may be played thereon, and this may bedone without in any way increasing the space occupied by the strings ofthe chord.

I will first describe one embodiment ot my invention and then point outthe novel Yleatures thereof in the appended claims.

Figure l is a plan view of an instrument embodying my invention; Fig. 2is a longitudinal section through the instrument; Fig. 3 is a section onthe line -oc, Fig. 2 Fig. 4 is a section on the line y-wy, Fig. 2, Figs.5, G and 7 are diagrams for the purpose of better explaining myinvention.

3 designates the sounding board oi the instrument, and 4 the strings bymeans oi which the melody is played. These strings are usually placed ina lower plane than the other strings by which the chords are played andpass over a bridge at each end, and at one end are secured to the tuningposts 5 as usual. The bridges over which the strings 4 pass aredesignated by 6. Situated above the strings 4 are other strings arrangedi'or playing the chords, these strings being shorter than the strings 4as usual.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated the strings forplaying the chords are arranged to play both the major nor chords,although this particular arrangement is not essential to the invention.

Referring now to the diagram in Fig. 5 it will be seen that the stringswhich are tuned to play the G major chord are the G, D, G, B and Dstrings. The G major chord may be converted into a G minor chord bysubstituting for the B string a B-'lat string. In order to provide forplaying both the G maj or and G minor chords therefore 'from the saineseries of strings, I include in this series of strings the G, D, G,B-'flat, B and D strings. In arranging these strings the strings tunedto give the major chord, or the G, D, G, B, and D strings, are arrangedin playing position at one end, while the strings comprising the G minorchord, that is, the G, D, G, B-lat and D stringsa-nare arrangedinplaying position at and mi- IOO IOS

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Fig. 3.

the other end. For this purpose, I arrange the bridge at each end withtwo bridge wires, the bridge wires of one bridge being designated 8 and9, and those of the other bridge being designated 10 and 11. The bridgewires 9 and 11 are on a higher plane than the bridge wires 8 and 10. Thegroup oi" strings constituting' the G maj or chord, that is, the G, D,G, B and D strings are passed over the upper bridge wire 11 and arefastened to suitable posts 12, all as usual. All of these strings exceptthe B string 15 are also passed over the upper bridge wire 9 at theother end. The B string 15 is at this end dropped below the otherstrings see Fig. 3 and extends over the lower bridge wire 8. The B-ilatstring 14 is fastened at one end to a post 12, and passes over the lowerbridg'e wire 10, see Fig. 41- and-thence passes over the higher bridgewire 9 at the other end of the instrument see The result is that at oneend the B- i'lat string 111 is depressed below the other strings and iscarried out ol playing position, while at the other end the B string 15is thus depressed below the other string's and cai'ried out of playingposition. Il' now this series oi`l strings is picked at the right handend, Fig. 2, the G major chord will be sounded, while if the saineseries of strings is picked at the left hand end, Fig. 2, the G ininorchord will be sounded. The addition of the separate string necessary toconvei't the major into the minor chord does not take up any room, andthe entire series of strings from which these two cliord-groups are madeoccupy only the same amount of room that the strings necessary to playthe G major chord would. The diagram in Fig. 5 shows at the leit handthe B- flat string depressed and the B string in pla ing position, andat the right hand end the B string depressed and the B-latstring inplaying position. These two arrangements show the relative positions ofthe strings at the right and the left of Fig. 2.

Another series of strings may be used to play either the C major or theC minor chord, as shown in the diagram Fig. 6. The complete series ofstrings adapted for this purpose comprise the C, C octave, E, E-lat, Gand C strings,-and in arranging these strings the C, C octave, E, G andC strings are at the right hand end, Figs. 1 and 2, passed over theupper bridge wire and are thus supported in playing position, while theright hand end of the E-lat string is depressed and passed over thelower bridge wire 10, and at the left hand end the C, C octave, E-flat,G and C strings are passed over the upper bridge wire 9 while the Estring is depressed and passed over the lower bridge wire 8. With thisconstruction the C major chord may be sounded by picking the strings atthe right Fig. while the C minor chord will be sounded picking thestrings at the left hand end.

he diagram in Fig. 7 shows the arrangement of the strings of the seriesadapted to play either the F maj or or the F minor chord. rIhis seriescomprises the regular strings lor playing the F major chord, that is,the F, F octave, C, F, A and C strings with the addition of the A-latstring'. At the right hand end Fig. 1 this A-ilat string' is depressedbelow the other strings and thus cai'i'ied out olE playing' position,while at f" string is cai'ried below playing position, and the A-latstring brought into playing' position, thus giving the pi'oper stringsfor making the F minor chord. In the saine way by merely the addition ofan extra string, any of the maj or chords may be changed into a minorchord.

If the strings in Fig. 2 are those lier playing the G major, and the Gminor chord, the string designated 14 would be the B-llat string' whiletlie string desig'nated 15 would be the B string, it being noted thatthe B-Ilat string is out of playing position at the right hand end andin playing position at the left hand end, while the string is inplaying' position at the right hand end and out ol' playing position atthe left hand end.

My invention is especially adapted loi' enabling an instrument oli thisclass to be used lor giving both the major and minor chords, because thechange iroin a major to a minor chord involves the change of only onestring, and therefore by the addition ol only one string in each series,two chord-groups may be made from each series of strings.

It will be noted by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 that the bridge at theleft of Fig. 1 or at the top of the instrument has three bridge wires,G, 8 and 9, and that lower bridge wire (j is used for the melody strings4, while the other two wires S and 9 ai'e used for the chord strings,the wire S being used for those strings which are depressed out ofplaying position and wire 9 being used i'oi' the strings that are inplaying position. This ari'angenient is advantageous, as it permits oneto arrange the strings compactly and without interfering with eachother, and to putin the space usually occupied by the strings ol onecliord-group, a suilicient number oi strings to constitute twochord-groups, and also to place the melody strings directly beneath thechord strings. f

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. In a stringed instrument, a plurality olistrings and bridges over which said strings pass, certain of saidstrings being in playing the other end the- IOO lIO

position at both ends thereof and others oli y 1, I playing position atone end, and part in playby ing position at the other enc 2. In astringed instrument, a plurality ol strings tuned to sound a chord allol said.

playing position at one strings being in playing position at one end, land all but one of said strings being in playing position at the otherend, and an auxiliary string associated with said other strings, i saidauxiliary string being in playing position at said latter end but out ofplaying position at the other end.

3. In a stringed instrument, the combination with a plurality of stringstuned to sound a niaj or chord, said strings all being in playingposition at one end and all of said strings but that adapted to soundthe third of the chord being in other end, of a minor-third string inplaying position at said latter end but out position at the other end.

4. A stringed instrument having at each end two bridges located indillerent planes, a group of strings constituting a major-chord,

o'l playing all ol said strings passing over the upperl bridge at oneend and all the strings except the playing position at the one soundingthe third of the chord passing over the upper bridge at the other end,said latter string passing over the lower bridge at said end, and aminor-third string passing over the upper bridge at said latter end andover the lower bridge at the other end.

5. 1n a stringed instrument, a bridge haying three parallel bridge wireslocated in different planes, a series of nielody strings passing overthe lower bridge wire, and a plurality of chord strings passing over theother wires, those strings which pass over the upper wire being arrangedto constitute a chord.

ln testimony whereof7 I have signed niy l naine to this speciiication,in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES F. DOUGHTON. Vitnesses:

LoUIs C. SMITH, MARGARET A. DUNN.

